Steal Me Away
by Ariel Christiana Cullen
Summary: The darkness is calling to Hermione, can she resist? And who exactly is the Keeper of the Night? 6th year AU
1. Prologue

"The night is full of mystery. Even when the moon is brightest, secrets hide everywhere. Then the sun rises and its rays cast so many shadows that the day creates more illusion than all the veiled truth of the night.

I have lived in this illusion for much of my life, but I have never belonged to it. Before my birth, I existed for too long in the realm between nothingness and life, and even now, the night still whispers to me. A strong cord binds me to the dark side of the world, and shields me from the light."

-Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, _Demon in My View_

Disclaimer: This Story Has Not Been Prepared, Approved, Or Licensed By Any Person Or Entity That Created, Published, Or Produced The Harry Potter Books Or Related Properties.


	2. The Keeper

Steal Me Away-Chapter One

_Many people know me as Hermione Granger: the bookworm; the mudblood; top-of-her-year; the sidekick of Harry and Ron. Most don't know about my struggle against the dark of the world. There is only one person that does, and I don't even know his name._

_See, when I was ten years old, my mother and I where out shopping; my mother went to check-out and I was looking at books. Big surprise there. Anyway, a man came up to me and started talking to me. He said, 'My, my, little Hermione. It's been nine years since our last. Pity, if things had only been different, the wonders you could do. You don't remember me, and that's a shame. I doubt that your mother has told you the truth. If not, you shall begin to understand in the sixteenth year. Until then you won't be able to comprehend. Do not tell anyone of this. We _shall_ meet again.' _

_Tomorrow is my sixteenth birthday, and I have not one clue to as what is going to happen. All I remember is that man and his ebony black hair, albino skin; and fiery eyes. _

_Since our meeting strange things have occurred. I have been told that I don't look as much like my parents as I used to. The night has started to be more appealing to me than the day. Even last year, the dark arts seem alluring, more then ever. Until I remembered the man's words, I dismissed it as spending too much time in the world of magic._

_Now I have decided if nothing has happened that I shall ask Mother about it. The yearning of the oblivion of sleep is calling me. I shall retire now. _

Ten minutes later, Hermione was asleep and totally unaware of the church tower ringing in the new day.

_I wish my mother wouldn't awake me like that she knows how much I hate it when she rips the sheets from the bed. I prefer to be awoken gently. Oh well, mothers like to be difficult, even on my birthday. Might as well get dressed._

Hermione walked over towards her wardrobe and chose out an outfit which consisted of a pair of black jeans; an emerald mandarin shirt that she had gotten in Japan a month ago; and a pair of flip-flops. Over the summer the humidity levels had been extremely nice to Hermione so her hair was no where as bushy as normal.

"Hermione! Time for breakfast! I got your favorite, tripe!"

"MOTHER! You know that I absolutely despise that poor excuse for a meal!"

_Mothers, can't live with them, can't live with out them. Well I should get down to breakfast now. So far nothing odd has happened but then again, I just woke up._

As Hermione walked down the stairs she glanced at sixteen years of memories. The time that she went to Niagara Falls for her fifth birthday. And when she played at her first piano recital. Then there was the time that she went to Stonehenge when she was eleven.

_If only those good times could reoccur, if you knew then what you know now, you could have changed the past to improve the future. _

_What was that?_

At that Hermione passed out and plummeted down the stairs.

- In sleep he sang to me and in dreams he came, that voice which calls to me and speaks my name. And to I dream again. For now I find the Keeper of the Night is there, inside my mind.

'Sing once again with me, our strange duet. My power over you grows stronger yet. And though you turn from me to glace behind. The Keeper of the Night is there inside your mind.

Those who have seen your face draw back in fear; I am the mask you wear.

'It's me they fear.-

_Wow what that? That voice sounds so familiar. Where have I heard that before? And who is the 'Keeper of the Night'?_

_Who is the Keeper of the Night you ask? Well it is I. And the voice should sound familiar, you have heard it before. In fact it was six years to the day. Ringing any bells yet? When you awake there will be a difference in your appearance, do not be alarmed, it is normal. I have overstayed my contact. I will contact you soon. Vale, my angel of the shadows. _

Two moments later Hermione awoke to see her mother staring at her in horror.

* * *

AN: Welcome, thank you for taking the time to stop and read this attempt of mine. For those of you who have read my other fics (One of Her Own, The Ninth Cheveron, and my version of HBP), I have not abandoned them, they're just on a extremely long hiatus, but I will hopefully update them soon. 


	3. Rose

Steal Me Away-Chapter Two

"Hermione what happened to your eyes? They look blood-shot only they aren't. You know, only the irises look like they are blood-shot, the rest look normal." My mother said.

"What are you talking about? My eyes are chocolate, not red."

"I know that but they aren't now, oh well maybe it's a normal teenage thing in this age. I'm still a little worried though."

"Ok mother…so what really is for breakfast?"

"Oh, I was thinking Denny's," Mom looked at me smiling.

"Yes, thank you mom, let me go grab my CD ok?"

"Yep, I'll be out in the car."

In a hurry I ran up to my room and grabbed my Mars CD by Gackt then ran out the house into Mother's sky blue VW Bug Convertible. Once in, I stuck the CD into the drive and skipped to track three.

"Oh no, not that," mother sighed.

"Hey, it's my birthday, you have to be nice to me," I smiled while Mother drove. Meanwhile, I started to lip sync.

_'totsuzen no deai e no kokoro kara no yorokobi to_

_"itsushika owaru kamoshirenai..." sonna kankaku ni obiete_

_soshite hitomi o mitsumeteta_

_nanimo wakarazu ni'_

I was able to translate it in my head to:

_The joy from my heart at our sudden meeting says_

_"Maybe it'll be over before I know it..." those forebodings scare me_

_And then I was gazing into your eyes_

_Without understanding anything_

Many people fail to see my obsession with Japanese Rock. But then again I don't tell many people because I don't wish to see the repeat of my muggle years when in school I was often made fun at my tastes.

The song ended with _'wasurenai kara.../Because I can't forget...'_ when we arrived at Denny's ten minutes later, then we got inside of the restaurant, where we waited for another ten minutes before one of the waitresses sat us. Across the table Mother was still looking at me as though I had grown an extra head and it was thoroughly starting to freak me out now.

"Is there something on my face, or do you wish to tell me something, mom?" I asked, finally breaking the silence between the two of us.

"It's nothing dear, it's just that between your father being away in America on business, and your passing out this morning and coming to with a different color eyes, its just has sort of shook me up. You don't think that think with your eyes has something to do with you being a you-know-what?" Mother finished in a hushed voice, not wanting any of the other dinners to hear her.

I rolled my eyes, knowing that my sudden eye change had nothing to do with me being a witch, the only time a witch or wizard could change their appearance without the use of spells or potions, was if they were a metamorphagus, and that was impossible. I had read somewhere that only witches or wizards that had some form of magical blood in them could be a metamorphagus, and that rules me out, being muggle-born and all.

"I'm sure that me being a witch has nothing to do with the change in my irises, in fact, I'm one hundred percent sure of it, unless of course, you've been hiding something from me for my entire life," at this point I couldn't keep a straight face, and started giggling at Mother's expense, in which I earned a glair.

At this time, our waitress brought us our breakfasts, hash browns and pancakes for me, and an egg, green pepper, and cheese omelet for Mother. We spent the rest of the time at the restaurant in silence, enjoying that neither one of us would have to be the ones to clean up after breakfast this morning.

* * *

The rest of the day passed with out much of a hitch, Mom gave me my gifts after dinner that night. I ended up getting a few new books, a parchment journal, quills, ink, and $100 pounds from my parents. When I went to slip into bed, a single stem black rose was resting on my pillow, and there was a note attached to it:

"_Happy Birthday, my Angel of the Shadows. May you have many more a head of you._

_The Keeper of the Night"_

* * *

AN: Thank you to my first four reviewers; sisterclara, gothic kid 13, valentinesdaysucks, and -I-Have-A-Draco-Problem-! Please keep the reviews coming. 


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